1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave oven employing a magnetron and a heater for performing an oven (microwave) cooking function, a grill cooking function, a convection cooking function and a combination cooking function, and more particularly to a heater position control apparatus of a microwave oven by which a heater position can be changed to a place where a user requires when food is cooked or a cooking chamber is cleaned, to thereby cause the food to be easily cooked, and at the same time, to cause the cooking chamber to be easily cleaned, while construction thereof is simple to thereby reduce the manufacturing cost and to improve productivity as well.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a microwave oven equipped with a magnetron and a heater for performing an oven cooking function, a grill cooking function, convection cooking function and a combination cooking function has been disclosed in various forms.
As a prior art for a conventional microwave oven, Japanese patent publication No. Sho 62-60617 applied for in Dec. 17, 1982 by Matsushita Electric Company and published in Japan on Dec. 17, 1987 is disclosed.
The Japanese patent publication No. Sho 62-60617, as illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a heating chamber A, a high frequency oscillator 4, a sensor 5 for detecting humidity of food heated by the high frequency oscillator 4 or for detecting concentrated degree of gas, and a heater 6 for heating the food, whereby the sensor 5 is disposed near the heater 6 in order to directly receive radiant heat of the heater 6.
However, there is a problem in that the conventional microwave oven cannot easily grill-cook the food because the heater 6 is fixedly disposed within the heating chamber A, and a ceiling of the heating chamber A cannot be simply cleaned since the heater 6 is in the way.
Furthermore, there is another problem in that, when the food is heated by the heater 6 for grill-cooking the food, the heat generated from the heater 6 is not convected but is only radiated downwards, thereby preventing the food from being easily cooked.
In order to solve the above-referenced problems, a microwave oven according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,914 has been disclosed. However, there is still another problem in the said microwave oven according to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,914 in that a construction for controlling the position of the heater is complicated to thereby increase a manufacturing cost thereof and decrease productivity thereof.